The Central Asia Institute and Fiesta Bowl have both made headlines of late, and not in a good way. Both were forced to confront high-profile questions about their nonprofit ethics. At our meeting May 11, Alice Ferris will invite us to use the investigative skills we learned on TV to understand what happened and how to avoid such pitfalls in our own programs.

Alice L. Ferris, MBA, CFRE, ACFRE is the founding partner of GoalBusters, providing philanthropic leadership services, specializing in outsourced development for small nonprofits; integrated fundraising, marketing and strategic planning; and customized education and training programs. GoalBusters has clients in many sectors, including public and community broadcasting, education, arts and culture, social service, healthcare, and Native American causes.
Ms. Ferris has over twenty years of professional fundraising experience, not including her tenure as the “top cookie salesperson” in Girl Scouts. Alice started her fundraising career as a volunteer at Wisconsin Public Television in Madison, Wisconsin, blowing bubbles onto the set during pledge breaks for the Lawrence Welk Show, which launched a 25 year affiliation with public broadcasting. As part of her services in outsourced development for small nonprofits, Alice is Director of Development for KAWC Colorado River Public Media in Yuma, Arizona, and interim Director of Development for KGHR NavajoPublic Radio in Tuba City, Arizona.
Prior to launching her consulting practice full time, Alice served as Director of Development for Lowell Observatory, Foundation Director for Flagstaff Medical Center, and Director of Development for KNAU Arizona Public Radio. During her tenure at Lowell Observatory, the membership program more than doubled, and during her time at KNAU, she led the station to its first, and to date only, $1 million fundraising year.
Alice was the 90th professional to receive the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE) credential, which has been conferred on less than 100 fundraisers worldwide, and is a two-time honoree as AFP-Northern Arizona Fundraising Professional of the Year. In addition, Alice served as 2009-2010 Vice Chair, Member Services for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International and continues to be an active member of the Board. She also serves as immediate past president of the AFP Northern Arizona chapter.
Alice is recognized for her on-air presence on many public television and radio pledge drives, and on national PBS fundraisers, among them Timeless—A National Parks Odyssey and Andre Rieu Live in Vienna.
She specializes in strategic and development planning, board development, annual giving, and nonprofit operations.
Alice earned her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Radio-TV-Film and Economics and her Masters of Business Administration with a double major in Accounting and Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She obtained her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) in 1999 and is certified through 2014. She received her ACFRE in 2010 and has also been an AFP Master Teacher since 2006.